AiR Cylinder Powered Upside Down Lee Press

[bstone5]

I wanted an air operated press to size powder coated cast bullets. I purchased a used Lee press in the Swaping and Selling section, an air cylinder off of E-Bay and some controls from
McMaster Carr. The pictures below are of the finished air operated press. The press has been used to size several thousand powder coated bullets.

[Mauser 98K]

pretty good.. sure saves on the old arm when dealing with large quantities.. that is why im in the process of building my own pneumatic swage press for large volumes.

[Grmps]

Good job, I enjoy seeing what members come up with. I'm a little concerned about you trimming a fingernail to close with the hydraulics.

I would recommend something like http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post4034470

[dverna]

Nice. I would never run something lke that without a feeder that keeps my hand away from the ram. I have had a few mishaps with hand powered presses that hurt but never were serious. An air, hydraulic, or electric powered ram can be nasty.

[jmorris]

I would never run something lke that without a feeder that keeps my hand away from the ram.

Yep, the reason industrial presses have switches on both the right side and left isn't so either one works, rather both hands must be out of the way. Someone didn't do this just to make the machine cost more, rather someone (actually lots of people) got hurt when one had went faster than the other and the slow one was mangled because of it.

The good news is, it is easier to make it safe than what you have already done. Just like the last one of these here a few months ago.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...utomatic-sizer

[dansedgli]

What size is your air cylinder?

I just made something similar but my ram is under powered i think. Not all bullets get through.

[jmorris]

It's not just diameter that makes a difference but also operating pressure. Also if you leave the linkage in place you gain it's mechanical advantage as well.

[Mauser 98K]

im gonna say it is at least a 3in cylinder.. with a 3in cylinder you can get 950lbs of force push and 848lbs pull at 135psi.. i wouldn't go smaller than a 4in though. with a 4in you can get close to 1,700lbs of push and close to 1,600lbs pull at 135psi. if you mounted the cylinder on a pivot and hooked it to the lever then you could get away with a 2in cylinder at 135psi as it would be like a 400lb guy hanging on the handle. with a 2in cylinder hooked to the lever you could get away with regulating the pressures down to 80psi and it would be like a 250lb guy hanging off the handle.. should be plenty for whatever you wanted to do with 250lbs of force on the end of the lever..

the ideal thing would be if you hooked it to the lever and you would use the regulator and start out low and increase the pressure till it did what you wanted it to do. this way you would not be over stressing anything and it is a lot easier on the compressor too.

[dansedgli]

Thanks guys. My cylinder is 63mm/2.5 inches. Not enough throw to put it on the lever but it was free.

I am running 100psi. I am surprised it isn't enough. The hand operated presses must create more force than I realised.

[Mauser 98K]

100psi with a 2.5in bore would only be 490lbs of force.. a good press with the leverages can create in the thousands of pounds of force at the ram..

[Gremlin460]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLIehTaANcg&t=218s

made just to see if I could a year or so ago .

[john.k]

A truck air brake pedal valve is ideal for this application.........pressure can be gradually increased,and then released in a graduated manner if needed........I personally dont like air in these types of applications,as a release of resistance results in the cylinder running to full stroke,very rapidly.Pressure oil is far more predictable,but components cost more.

[kbstenberg]

What is the cost just in parts, if a guy has to buy everything?

[jmorris]

personally dont like air in these types of applications,as a release of resistance results in the cylinder running to full stroke,very rapidly.

You can mitigate this by using adjustable valves or even just a small diameter feed line. Like the one in the video fed by 1/8” ID line so it’s action is slowed.

It’s worked for years in this application.

[jmorris]

Air is “springy” though, more so than hydraulics for sure but there is no reason to go through the costs of that for this project. When the mechanical solution is so simple.

[Grmps]

Has anyone done an air powered sizer that actuates the handle? [↑↑↑symillar to ↑↑↑] You would need a longer throw but less power/pressure.

jmorris, I like your mechanical sizer (actually I like all you "inventions") but many of us don't have the real estate for a dedicated machine that large.

I'm converting a Lee Breech Lock press into a hand operated sizer, I've never finished it but have lost track of how many thousands of boolits I've sized with it.

[Gremlin460]

Has anyone done an air powered sizer that actuates the handle? [↑↑↑symillar to ↑↑↑] You would need a longer throw but less power/pressure.

jmorris, I like your mechanical sizer (actually I like all you "inventions") but many of us don't have the real estate for a dedicated machine that large.

I'm converting a Lee Breech Lock press into a hand operated sizer, I've never finished it but have lost track of how many thousands of boolits I've sized with it.

Footprint of the one in the Utube video ( couple of posts up) above is less than 6x6 inch. Also it can stand at the back of the bench, no need to have it on the front edge.
I have both a manual AS/2 and the Air powered AS/3 prototype. If i am just doing a <500 run I use the manual one.